A terrified woman woke to see an armed gang in her room after they had broken into her home in the early hours of the morning.
Burnley Crown Court heard how during the horrifying raid at a house in Accrington shared by two sisters, Abaduat Ali, 26, Khalid Hussain, 24 and Khizer Abbas, 27, trashed rooms and laughed at their victims as they cowered in fear. The gang even bludgeoned a baby rabbit to death.
One of the women had woken to find the men in her room and Abbas shaking her bed and one was groped by hammer-wielding Hussain.
They continued to frighten the women, both under the age of 23, but seemed to think it was funny and were ‘laughing their heads off’.
All three men have been jailed for two years.
The victims were so traumatised by their ordeal they had moved out and gone back to live with family.
Abbas, of Whalley New Road, Blackburn, admitted burglary. Hussain, of Ormerod Street and Ali, of Nelson Street, both Accrington, pleaded guilty to affray.
Sentencing, Judge Beverley Lunt told them: “This was a home invasion by the three of you of the most horrifying kind.”
The judge, who said the attack on the rabbit was ‘savage indeed’ added the incident warranted much longer than three years behind bars but the maximum for affray was three years and she had to give “credit” for owning up.
She continued: “If the prosecution had chosen to pursue burglary charges against each of you, you would have been facing four or five years in jail.”
David Temkin, prosecuting, said sticks from the house were used to smash the rabbit hutch and one of the animals was hit over the head. It died later that day.
Ali and Abbas were arrested 100 yards away and Hussain asked officers for a lift home when he was seen on a street by police at 1.45am.
When questioned, Hussain said they had got the wrong house.
For Hussain, Neil Fryman said he would lose his house if sent to custody. He was no stranger to the courts.
Louise Kitchin, defending Ali, said he was ashamed because he knew what he did was appalling and unacceptable. His wife did not allow him to have alcohol at home and he would binge drink at a friend’s house.
Representing Abbas, Craig Earnshaw told the court: “He accepts the householders would without doubt have been very frightened.”